Tuesday, April 12, 2016

ROAD TRIPS & CREATIVITY

Have you ever noticed how liberating a good long drive
can be for your creative mind?

In February, we drove 1500 miles from north Texas to a
New Mexico ski resort. Then in March, we hopped back in the car and drove 5,000
miles to Atlantic Maritime Canada (round trips, of course!)… I’ve spent more
time our car in the last two months than in the past three years combined.

Driving Into A Blizzard

There’s something exciting about being away from your
usual neck of the woods, out on the open highway surrounded by red rocks or
endless cattle grazing fields, with nothing but blue skies as far as the eye
can see. Texas is so huge it takes forever to get to the state line.

It’s not always about fair weather travel, though. One
can be confronted with blizzards and howling winds, flooded roads and pelting
rainstorms. Surprisingly, these can be even more stimulating to the muse than
the serenity of fine weather.

On the New Mexico (homeschooling) trip, we stayed in a
very bizarre ski resort. Tiny, low budget, barely on the map, hostile staff
that were masters of making you feel tolerated—almost. Everything in the place
was broken, from bed frames to appliances, faulty electricity, poor heating and
on and on it goes.

The highlight of the trip was a supernatural experience
my son and I had, that led to… a story implanting itself in my head… a full
story, from beginning to end. I have not written it yet, nor made notes. It’s
one of those situations where all I have to do is think of the place and the
story flashes before my inner eye. When I sit down to write the novella it will
be done within a week if I can keep my schedule clear.

On the 2,500 mile drive north to Canada, my mind wandered
to other creative pursuits. Jewelry design ideas… themes for non-fiction books
to add to the list already gathering cyber-dust on my laptop.

After a delightful week with family we were back in the car heading home. I thought about a story that
had been troublesome for months. It needed to be written soon and I’d been
stumped, frustrated and blocked on some plot twists.

Magical Inn During Blizzard In Maine

We got stuck in a blizzard in Maine on the first night. My
thoughts meandered into a realm ruled by the winter gods. The most unexpected plot
prompts came into play, leading me to see the story from an entirely different
angle. The inn we stayed at was an old-fashioned, enchanted property. No
doubt appealing in regular weather, it was decked out and bejeweled in sparkling
snow now, and could have been the winter castle of the ice queen.

By the time we rolled into our driveway, the story was written—in
my head. Now to get both novellas from my brain to the laptop… is there an app for that?

Meanwhile, I’m done driving for now. My body has almost accepted
that it’s no longer in drive-motion, and I’ve got a healthier-than-ever respect
for long distance professional drivers.

Have
you got a story to share about how driving or a distant place stoked your creativity?

GEMMA JULIANA writes all kinds of love stories, from
contemporary to paranormal. She has a penchant for romantic international
settings. Gemma lives in a cozy cottage in Texas with her very own hero, teen
son, and a dog who rules them all. Chocolate and coffee nourish her muse and
fuel her creativity. She loves hearing from readers.

7 comments:

Great post and very timely! I'm actually planning a road-trip with friends, next month. While the bizarre ski resort with the surly characters might inspire a story, I'm hoping we get better service, lol!

I love road trips. When I was a child, my family took lots of road trips. The one that stands out the most and that influenced my love of the Southwest was a trip we took cross-country first by train (my dad worked for the railroad). He bought a car, a 1950 Buick for $50, in California, and we drove back. We spent one night in the NM desert because at that time, 1958, there were very few motels along the highways. That is one of the best remembrances of my life. The same road trip inspired me to write a story set in Wyoming. The train went through Wyoming and I liked the scenery so I wrote my very first (unsold) book set there. Great post, Gemma. I can't wait to read the stories you're writing.

Imagine buying a Buick for $50! What an amazing experience, Cara, especially sleeping in the desert with the stars above. It ignited a love of travel in you that endures to this day.

The Orient Express forever colored my perception of train travel, and when you add Polar Express, well...! It's such a magical way to get around. Unfortunately I haven't indulged in as much train travel as I'd like to. Maybe someday...

And speaking of someday, have you got any plans to revamp that first novel and indie publish it?